The present invention relates generally to telephonic support structures and, more particularly, to a support receptacle, and an associated method, for supporting a telephonic handset, such as the handset of a portable radiotelephone.
A communication system is comprised, at a minimum, of a transmitter and a receiver interconnected by a communication channel. The transmitter of the communication system is operative to convert a signal to be transmitted upon the communication channel into a form permitting transmission thereupon.
A radio communication system is a communication system as above-described but wherein the transmission channel is formed of a radio frequency channel defined by a range of frequencies of the electromagnetic frequency spectrum. A transmitter operative in a radio communication system converts a communication signal to be transmitted into a form suitable for transmission thereof upon the radio frequency channel.
Conversion of the communication signal into the form which permits transmission of the communication signal upon the radio frequency channel is effectuated by a process referred to as modulation. In a modulation process, the communication signal is impressed upon an electromagnetic wave. The electromagnetic wave is commonly referred to as a "carrier signal." The carrier signal is characterized by an oscillating frequency which is commonly referred to as the "carrier frequency." The resultant signal, formed of the combination of the communication signal and the carrier signal is referred to as a modulated carrier signal or, more simply, a modulated signal. The transmitter includes circuitry operative to perform such a modulation process.
Because the modulated signal may be transmitted through free space over large distances, radio communication systems are widely utilized to effectuate communication between a transmitter and a remotely-positioned receiver.
The receiver of the radio communication system which receives the modulated carrier signal contains circuitry analogous to, but operative in a manner reverse with that of the circuitry of the transmitter and is operative to perform a process referred to as demodulation.
A two-way radio communication system is a radio communication system, similar to the radio communication system above-described, but which permits both transmission of a modulated signal from a location and reception at such location of a modulated signal. Each location of such a two-way communication system contains beth a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter and the receiver positioned together at the single location typically comprise a unit referred to as a radio transceiver or, more simply, a transceiver.
A cellular communication system is one type of two-way radio communication system, and, when operative, communication is permitted with a radio transceiver positioned at any location within a geographic area encompassed by the cellular communication system.
A cellular communication system is created by positioning a plurality of fixed-site radio transceivers, referred to as base stations, at spaced-apart locations throughout a geographic area. The base stations are connected to a conventional, wireline, telephonic network. Associated with each base station of the plurality of base stations is a portion of a geographic area encompassed by the cellular communication system. Such portions are referred to as cells. Each of the plurality of cells is defined by one of the base stations of the plurality of base stations, and the plurality of cells together define the coverage area of the cellular communication system.
A radio transceiver, referred to in a cellular communication system as a cellular radiotelephone or, more simply, a cellular phone, positioned at any location within the coverage area of the cellular communication system, is able to communicate with a user of the conventional, wireline, telephonic network by way of a base station. Modulated signals generated by the radiotelephone are transmitted to a base station, and modulated signals generated by the base station are transmitted to the radiotelephone, thereby to effectuate two-way communication therebetween. (A signal received by a base station is then transmitted to a desired location of a conventional, wireline network by conventional telephony techniques. And, signals generated at a location of the wireline network are transmitted to a base station by conventional telephony techniques, thereafter to be transmitted to the radiotelephone by the base station.)
Operation of a cellular phone is permitted, for instance, in a vehicle traveling within the geographic area encompassed by the cellular communication system. As the vehicle travels through successive cells of the plurality of cells comprising the cellular communication system, signals transmitted by the cellular phone are received by successive base stations, each associated with the successive cells. Successive base stations of the successive cells similarly transmit signals to the cellular phone.
A cellular phone typically includes a telephonic handset similar in configuration with telephonic handsets of conventional, telephonic apparatus. In some constructions of cellular phones, the entire transceiver circuitry of the cellular phone is contained in the handset. Such construction of cellular phones is referred to as a portable, cellular phone. In other constructions of cellular phones, at least portions of the transceiver circuitry of the cellular phone are housed in structure located beyond the telephonic handset, but connected thereto by way of a connecting cable.
When a cellular phone, either the aforementioned portable cellular phone or a cellular phone of other conventional construction, is positioned within a vehicle and operated thereat, the operator of such phone is, in many instances, the driver of the vehicle. The cellular phone must be of a design to permit the user to perform normal driving functions while simultaneously operating the radiotelephone to communicate therethrough.
Also, additional apparatus is oftentimes utilized to support the radiotelephone handset when the telephonic handset is not being utilized by the operator of the cellular phone. Such support apparatus must be of a design to permit positioning thereof so as to permit the operator of the cellular phone convenient access to the telephonic handset when the operator desires to use the cellular phone and also to reposition the handset upon the support apparatus when the handset is no longer utilized.
The support apparatus, sometimes referred to as a support receptacle or a telephonic hang-up cup, may be mounted, for example, upon the dashboard of a vehicle, upon an armrest portion of the vehicle, or within the glove compartment of the vehicle. At any of these mounting locations, the support receptacle may be mounted in position by means of threaded shaft members affixing the receptacle directly to the respective mounting location. The support receptacle may also be affixed to a mounting assembly which, in turn, is affixed to the respective mounting location. Alternately, the support receptacle may be mounted at the mounting location by positioning a two-sided adhesive tape at the mounting location thereby to permit affixation of the telephonic support receptacle at the mounting location.
Several existing designs of support receptacles which may be mounted at the just-mentioned mounting locations of the vehicle are comprised of housings containing face surfaces having recessed areas of dimensions permitting the positioning of a portion of a handset thereat. Latch members formed integral with the support receptacle and projecting from sidewalls defining the recessed area latchingly engage with corresponding, mating latching surfaces formed on the telephonic handsets to permit latching engagements therebetween. Typically, such support receptacle designs include latch members formed to project beyond two opposing sidewalls of the sidewalls defining the recessed areas. To remove the telephonic handsets from the support receptacles, forces are exerted upon the handsets to pull the handsets away from the support receptacles. In order to reposition the handsets at such support receptacles, a reverse procedure is utilized. Exertion of such forces, however, are transmitted to the support receptacles. Particularly in instances in which the support receptacles are affixed to the mounting locations of the vehicle by the two-sided adhesive tape, forces transmitted to the support receptacles may be great enough to pull the entire receptacles away from the mounting locations of the vehicles at which the support receptacles are mounted.
To reduce the magnitudes of the forces required to remove a handset from a support receptacle, several other existing support receptacle designs utilize latch members which are retractable. Such retractable latch members may be positioned either in or out of a latching position. Button-type actuators are interconnected with the retractable latch members such that forces applied to the actuators cause retraction of the retractable latch members out of the latching position. When the latch members are positioned in the retracted position, magnitudes of forces required to remove handsets from the support receptacles are reduced.
The button-type actuators which receive the actuation forces to position the latch members out of the latching positions should be positioned at opposing sides of the support receptacles, and actuation of either of the actuators should cause retraction of the latch members out of the latching positions.
Because existing support receptacles having retractable latch members include a relatively large number of parts which must be assembled theretogether, a relatively lengthy assembly procedure is required.
As any reduction in the number of parts required to be assembled theretogether to form the support receptacle would reduce the assembly time required to assemble the support receptacle, such reduction would facilitate ease of assembly and also reduce assembly costs of the support receptacle.